Nitesh Shresth from the WFP Nepal underlined the experiences and challenges of understanding scientific information in Nepal, such as making use of global forecast models such as by RIMES and GloFAS. The team also had to deal with forecast uncertainty with the false alarm ratio of some forecasts being as high as 70%. Other challenges lay in communication: “Whereas our policy on forecast-based actions was endorsed already, we still had to develop the communication guideline despite the CoVID-19 restrictions. We made it happen.”

Hilla Wessel

Some more fabulous lessons learned from Pakistan´s Amjad Ahmad, following the May 2020 heatwave early actions pilot in four cities: "It was so hot - at 40 degrees for three consecutive days - plus we had COVID-19, that we quickly learned our heatwave-awareness raising via loudspeakers and posters was not the preferred communication method, rather, people wanted information online via You Tube, Twitter, Facebook, etc.”

Hilla Wessel